Bond with the Car of Your Dreams: Aston Martin DB5
There are few cars that have made such an impact on the world as the DB5 – from its sleek chassis to the leather interior, everything about this particular Aston Martin doesn’t scream cool; it politely says it in a gentlemanly fashion.
It’s most famous for being James Bond’s car of choice, first in the 1964 hit Goldfinger, and has been used in numerous other times since, most notably in the Daniel Craig’s 2012 outing, Skyfall.
Gadgets Galore
The big screen version of the DB5 came kitted out with some nifty gadgets, including:
- An ejector seat
- Bullet-proof rear window shield
- Rotating number plate
- Rear bumper oil spray
- Front bumper machine guns
- Tyre shredders
Pretty much everything that a spy needs to get out of a sticky spot when facing down villains bent on world domination.
But the real life version of the DB5 is certainly no less impressive. Designed by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggara, the Italian coachbuilders, it first hit the market a year before Goldfinger, in 1963, and comes in all sorts of variants, from the convertible to the high performance DB5 Vantage.
The general specifications for the standard – if you dare call the DB5 ‘standard’ – model includes:
- 3995cc engine
- 288lb-ft, 3850rpm torque
- 143mph top speed
- 0-60mph in 8 seconds
- 282 brake horse power
- 4-speed manual transmission
A Luxury Model
During its two-year production run, between ’63 and ’65, Aston Martin produced just 1,023 of the luxury models. That means, if you’re looking to get your hands on one, you’re looking to pay top dollar (or pound sterling, since we’re talking about a British car made famous by a British spy).
Ok, you’re probably not going to end up paying £2.6 million, as one fan did, when a screen-used DB5 came up for auction in 2010, but it’ll still set you back several thousand pounds to own one of the best-loved grand tourers the world has ever seen.
Of course, for slightly less money, you might be able to pick up James Bond’s first actual on-screen car, the 1962 Sunbeam Alpine – or even the Aston Martin he drove in Ian Fleming’s novel, the exquisite DB Mark III.
And if you do happen to own one of these delightful cars made famous in the movies, we’d absolutely love to show it some TLC – we’ll treat your vehicle with all the love Bond showed Pussy Galore! So get in contact with the Smartway team for all your body repair works.
